Promotion: architect Konrad Wójcik has talked about how he used real-time 3D-rendering software Lumion to create a virtual, desert-proof glass bunker house informed by the Dune films' sets.
Wójcik, who runs the Youtube channel Architect Reflects, used Lumion 2024 to imagine Dune House – a brutalist-style bunker designed for the science-fiction world depicted in the Dune books by Frank Herbert and subsequent films by Denis Villeneuve.
Lumion wants architects everywhere to use the platform's technology to develop their ideas.
"Visualisation and film have two things in common – both can transcend limits and go beyond what's possible in the pursuit of storytelling, and both often use architecture as a medium to create meaningful context around an idea," said Lumion.
"Konrad has skillfully stitched both disciplines together in this project," the company added.
The Polish architect said he wanted to create a house for the "harsh and unrelenting desert where the Dune stories take place without compromising beauty or style".
Dune House was rendered as a geometric glass and stone bunker raised above the ground, with retractable shutters designed to protect the home from sandstorms and strong winds.
"Konrad seamlessly took the project from concept to render, bringing the idea to life with unparalleled ease," added the company.
Wójcik used Lumion software to complete the project, including for its final animations.
"Using Lumion feels like a game you want to explore. It takes almost no training," said, Wójcik. "There are no wrong choices and with every click you make an instant change and feel the impact of each design decision," he added.
Among the software's latest features are real-time ray tracing. "Lumion makes true-to-life rendering accessible and exciting for every user," said the company.
"The ray tracing effect enables you to capture how light moves and reflects across surfaces with unparalleled ease. From the natural glow of a translucent material, to the subtle reflections in water and glass, every detail becomes vividly realistic."
Dune House features an interior informed by the Dune universe. Dark timber cabinets were paired with veiny marble tiles and a breakfast bar created as a rough-hewn rock.
There is also a central gilded mural of a writhing sandworm – the fictional extraterrestrial creature that lives on Arrakis, the planet where much of the Dune films' drama takes place.
Lumion is compatible with all major CAD and 3D modelling software and features an extensive resource library of close to 10.000 objects, characters, and materials. In its latest version, the ray tracing effect has been expanded to work seamlessly with more than 2,200 nature items, translucent materials, and coloured glass.
For more information about Lumion, visit its website here.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Lumion as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.